LA Food Wine Festival!

Fresh Origins was proud to be a sponsor of the First Annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival in October 2011! The creators and producers of the premier epicurean lifestyle event on the West Coast proudly presented the next great culinary and live entertainment playground, where celebrity met celebrity chef. There were 58 Different events and 141 Chefs that participated! Some of the nation’s Top Chefs used our Microgreens & Edible Flowers on their dishes! Some of the Chefs included: Bradley Ogden, Daniel Boulud, Sam Choy, Roy Yamaguchi, Elizabeth Falkner, Johnny Iuzzini, Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, & Masaharu Morimoto.

http://www.lafw.com

Masaharu Morimoto with Julie Sasuga of Fresh Origins

 Clam Chowder Congee, oyster cracker, Fresh Origins Micro Celery

LEXUS GRAND TASTING – SUNDAY 10/16 12:00-3:00PM

Chef Masaharu Morimoto—known to millions as the star of Iron Chefand Iron Chef America—has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his seamless integration of Western andJapanese ingredients.  He has effectively created a signature cuisine that has gained worldwide appeal and positioned him as one of the foremost chefs today.  Morimoto is executive chef at Morimoto Philadelphia,Morimoto New York, and Wasabi by Morimoto.  In July 2010, chef Morimoto opened his first West Coast restaurant, Morimoto Napa, in downtown Napa’s new Riverfront development, followed by the fall 2010 debut of Morimoto Waikiki in Waikiki EDITION, the new luxury lifestyle hotel developed by Ian Schrager and Marriott.

Sam Choy of Sam Choy’s, Hawaii with David & Julie Sasuga of Fresh Origins

Island Style Poke, Fresh Origins Micro Intensity Mix™

RED CARPET PREMIERE THURSDAY 10/13  7:00-10:00PM

Sam Choy’s colorful personality and welcoming smile have drawn customers to his multiple restaurants over the last 30 years, but it is his award-winning cooking that keeps them coming back.For the last 16 years, Sam has appeared on his weekly cooking show, Sam Choy’s Kitchen, on the Hawaiian Island’s local NBC affiliate. He has authored 16 cookbooks, has a frozen food line with a major international distributor, has his personal recipe sauces and dressings available in national food store chains and has designed first and business class menus for American’s Airlines International Flights. Choy is a four-time nominee for the James Beard Best Pacific Regional chef award, winning in 2004. He is often credited as the “Godfather of Poke” and the Culinary Ambassador of the Big Island. Sam also enjoys catering for private events and donates his time to support multiple charities.

Elizabeth Faulkner of Citizen Cake & Soma SF with David Sasuga of Fresh Origins

Baby summer squash, fig, uni, lemon olive oil, Fresh Origins Micro Basil

RED CARPET PREMIERE THURSDAY  10/13  7:00-10:00PM

With her spiky platinum hair and unstoppable creativity, Elizabeth Falkner has become one of the most recognizable faces of the Bay Area culinary world on Bravo, Food Network and beyond. She has been a frequent contestant, judge, and guest on Top Chef Masters, Top Chef, Iron Chef America, Sugar Rush, Tyler’s Ultimate with Tyler Florence, Rachael Ray’s $40 a Day, Martha Stewart Living, and more.

Falkner is the owner and Chef of two Michelin recommended restaurants in San Francisco. Citizen Cake patisserie, restaurant and bar in Pacific Heights, along with the popular SOMA restaurant bar and lounge Orson. Once known as the go-to for all things pastry, Elizabeth’s expertise is now widely acknowledged to have bridged the gap between sweet and savory.

Johnny Iuzzini of Jean-Georges, New York

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Curry Mayo, Chocolate dirt, Fresh Origins Micro Sorrel

DECADENCE HOSTED BY SHERRY YARD   SATURDAY 10/15  10:00-2:00AM

Johnny Iuzzini, Executive Pastry Chef at award winning Restaurant Jean-Georges and café Nougatine in New York City, hails from the Catskills in upstate New York. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with twenty years of kitchen experience since the age of 15, he boasts a heavy list of experience at highly lauded dining locations such as The River Café in Brooklyn, NY, Daniel, Payard and Café Boulud in New York City.  His enrichment continued during a journey around the world in 1998 as well as to study pastry at some of the finest patisseries in France including LaDuree under Pierre Herme.

Chef Iuzzini was deemed “Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, followed by accolades such as “10 Most Influential Pastry Chefs in America” by Forbes Magazine, “Best New Pastry Chef” by New York Magazine, and named one of the “Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America” two years in a row by Pastry Arts and Design Magazine. Iuzzini is the head judge of Bravo’s new culinary competition series “Top Chef Just Desserts” and the author of Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets From A Four-Star Pastry Chef.

Roy Yamaguchi, Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant

Main Lobster Dim Sum, chantarele mushroom, lobster foam, Fresh Origins Tiny Veggies™ Radish & Petite Shiso Red

LEXUS GRAND TASTING – SUNDAY SUNDAY 10/16  12:00-3:00PM

Based on childhood memories of the feelings and flavors of Hawaii, Roy invented what he refers to as “Hawaiian Fusion® Cuisine” — a tempting combination of exotic flavors and spices mixed with the freshest of local ingredients, always with an emphasis on seafood. Thusly inspired, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York at the age of 19, where, after several years of intense training, he became a Master Chef.

Yamaguchi is now regarded as a pioneer who mastered a distinctive style, which brought his cooking to the forefront of contemporary gastronomy. As testimony to his success, there are now 31 Roy’s, including 23 in the Continental U.S., 6 in Hawaii, 1 in Japan and 1 in Guam.

Honored early in his career with the prestigious James Beard “Best Pacific Northwest Chef” Award, Yamaguchi has hosted six seasons of the PBS-TV show, Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi seen on more than 300 stations in all 50 states, as well as in over 60 countries. Equally notable, he was a featured chef on the acclaimed TV Food Network program, My Country, My Kitchen which takes viewers back to his roots in Japan.

Asian Themed MicroGreens

Many micro greens and petite greens are Asian in origin and can be used to give an Asian flair to many types of dishes. These Asian themed specialty products can also blend in well with American dishes, providing new and exciting flavors.

With more than 350 products, Fresh Origins has all of the Asian micro greens you will need to add zest to your dishes.

Here is just a few that are available. There is Micro Chinese Cabbage, which can be used to spice up lettuce and spinach salads; and Micro Thai Basil which has an unusual licorice flavor that also blends well with Asian or fusion cuisine. 

Pictured: Petite Asian Mix

Micro Red Shiso has dark red, uniquely flavored leaves, and is a great topping for sushi rolls and nigiri.

Micro Tatsoi, first cultivated in Japan, is popular for use in both European and Asian foods. It is dark green in color and a member of the broccoli family. It goes well with salads and sandwiches. It has a taste that echoes that of mustard greens.

Another Asian microgreen is the Daikon Radish, which comes in purple or green. The word Daikon means “large root” in Japanese, and the vegetable has a crisp texture and a spicy flavor and can really perk up salads or side dishes.

Mitsuba, Japanese parsley is another microgreen that is a common in Asian dishes. It has an earthy parsley-like flavor and can make a great addition to salads, and stir fry. Nice for floating on miso soup!

Micro Cilantro is a common element in Thai cooking and can be used in salads, chutneys and salsas. It has a very fresh and strong flavor for such a small herb!

Here’s a recipe using our Asian microgreens!

Kobe Beef and Prawn Udon Soup

with Micro Asian Mix

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Micro Asian Mix

½ lb Large fresh uncooked prawns

½ lb Kobe beef

1 package Udon noodles

2 stalks of Green Onions

1 clove Garlic

½ Onion

3 Pak Choy leaf stalks

Handful of Enoki Mushrooms

1 cup Chicken Broth

Splash of Hot Sauce

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

Handful of Shitaki Mushrooms

2 tbsp Dried Seaweed

1 tbsp Rice Wine

Handful of Soy Beans

Salt, Pepper

Directions:

In a pot, bring water to a boil, drop in noodles and simmer until cooked. In a separate pot, combine chicken stock, garlic (diced), onions (diced), hot sauce, shitaki mushrooms (diced), soy sauce, seaweed, rice wine, soy beans, salt and pepper and simmer. Slice kobe beef into small thin slices, season with salt and pepper, and sear quickly on both sides in olive oil in a pan. Set aside. Do the same with the shrimp. Set aside. Cook enoki mushrooms in broth.  Blanch Pak Choy quickly in broth until leaves get wilted. Set aside. Serve noodles, add broth, pak choy, green onions, shrimp, and beef.  Garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Asian Mix.

Other examples of Asian garnishes!

Mustard Flowers

Shiso Bicolor Leaves

Radish Flowers

Edible Flowers: From Start to Finish!

Today’s top restaurants are finding ways to incorporate edible flowers in many aspects of their menus.  At many luxurious establishments, you may see an edible flower garnishing your pre-dinner drink.  The appetizer or salad may be sprinkled with vibrant, tasty, edible flowers and your main course can contain at least one, if not a blend of edible flowers to enhance the flavor and visual appeal of the dish.  For dessert you will find that many pastries and sorbets contain edible flowers either as an ingredient, or as a garnish.

At Fresh Origins, we offer only the finest edible flowers with the understanding that, when it comes to fine cuisine, beauty without taste means nothing.  Our edible flowers are not only brilliant in color and texture, but also in flavor.  We take great pride in harvesting our edible flowers at the height of quality.  Our shipping methods ensure that the edible flowers will arrive at your restaurant fresh and presentable. Upon arrival, you can use the edible flowers however you desire, with the assurance that their flavor and appearance will not compromise your dish.

For more information on how you can feature edible flowers from Fresh Origins at your fine restaurant, please contact us.

Crystallized Flowers!!

What’s New on the Farm:

Crystallized Flowers!
Pansy, Rose, Rose Petals,
Snapdragon, &Viola

Fresh Origins has a sweet new
product line! We are sugar coating our
own edible flowers to create incredible sweet garnishes. The glistening sugar
crystals are an exciting and exquisite additionto any desert. Even main entrees are transformed
into brilliant works of art. The sugar coating preserves the natural beauty of the flowers for as long as you need.

Fresh Summer Cocktail!

Cool off this summer with a tangy lemon drop! Add a MicroFlower™ Micro Fucshia to add beauty and a sweet citrus burst!

Star Chefs from 2010!

Inverted Cherry Tomato “Tart”, Black Olives, Micro Basil

Rhubarb, Liquorice, Almond, Citrus, Borage Blossoms

Textural Self Portrait: Caramelized Moustache, Apples, Chartreuse, Lettuce, Edible Flowers

Valentine’s Day Cocktails with Edible Flowers!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Romance is in bloom at Fresh Origins! Decorate your Valentine’s drinks with brilliant edible flowers.  Adding flowers to your drinks and dishes truly adds romance and gives them a creative twist! Here’s some fun cocktails to share with your special someone!

Vodka, Pomegranate Liqueur, Rose Syrup, Pomegranate Juice, Sugared Rim, Lemon Twist, Rose

Champagne, Strawberry Vodka, Rose Syrup, Sugared Rim, Blueberries, Tangerine Wedge, Rose

Vanilla Vodka, Baileys, Chocolate Liqueur, Creme, Chocolate Flakes, Chocolate Rim, Raspberries, Rose

Citrus Rum, Triple Sec, Lemon Wedges, Lemon Juice, Tangerine Wedges, Juice, Rose Petals, Rose

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin Soup Recipe.

Pumpkin, Lemongrass & Corn Soup with Petite Pumpkin Greens!

Ingredients:

4 cups pumpkin puree or mashed cooked pumpkin

1 fresh lemongrass stalk

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 clove of garlic

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg

Directions:

Cut off the top and bottom of the lemongrass stalk and remove outer layers.  Then smash stalk with the side of a large heavy knife.  Cook lemongrass, onion, and garlic with salt, in butter and olive oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat, until onion is softened, about 10 minutes.  Add pumpkin, corn, tomatoes, with salt, pepper and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally.  A few minutes later, add cream, parsley, chicken stalk, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Simmer for another few minutes.  Then puree the soup either in a blender or using a hand-held blender.  Strain soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl.  Garnish with Fresh Origins Petite Pumpkin Green and MicroFlower™ Micro Marigold™!

• Delicious fresh squash flavor. Grown from pumpkin seeds.
• Vibrant green color will brighten fall plates and traditional holiday fare.
• Good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and iron.
• Get creative with the first ever Pumpkin seedling garnish!

Making food Romantic!

Edible Roses & Rose Petals

Fresh Fragrant & Floral!

Stunning edible roses with attractive colors of red, pink, yellow, orange and white. Sweet and mild floral flavor. Their amazing aroma is a fantastic treat to your senses. Gorgeous and colorful, this fantastic garnish is versatile and fun. Its divine beauty will transform salads and desserts. Add classic romance to cocktails and other refreshments. Edible Roses can also be a great ingredient for sauces and syrups!

Micro Antioxidants Mix™

Fresh Origins’ Newest Item!

Colorful, attractive mixture of micros with different textures and shapes. Our Micro Antioxidants Mix contains micros with the highest levels of antioxidants!  These include: broccoli, cabbage, dill, kale, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, radish, savory and thyme.  This combo boasts fresh flavors of citrus, spicy flavors of radish, intense herb flavors, and hearty flavors of cruciferous veggies.  Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals.  They can help to maintain health and prevent diseases such as cancer and heart disease.  Eating these tasty MicroGreens is a fun and simple way to get these crucial vitamins into your body.

Boost your antioxidant intake even more with meals that include berries!  Few fruits have quite the provocative allure, the fragile charm or the nutrients of berries. They’re full of fiber, minerals and vitamins, and loaded with healing antioxidants.

Cranberry & Feta Stuffed Pork with

Cranberry Reduction

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Micro Antioxidants Mix

2-3 lb Pork Roast

2 packages of Dried Cranberries

3 Cups of Red Wine

1 package of Feta

1 can of Chicken Stock

Olive Oil

Butter

Cinnamon

2 cups of Sugar

Salt, Pepper

Cooking Twine

Directions:

For the Pork:

Cut pork roast down the center (not all the way through) to make it into a thinner flat piece.  Add 1 package of cranberries and feta to the center of the meat (like you are making a burrito).  Then take the two side ends and bring them together. Tie up the whole roast with 4 pieces of twine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add olive oil and butter to the top.  Add chicken stock to bottom of the baking pan.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 to get the top crisp. Then for 45 minutes at 350 or longer depending on your oven.

For the Cranberry Reduction:

In a small saucepan, add 1 package of cranberries, butter, oilive oil, sugar, red wine, salt, and cinnamon.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until the consistency is thick and the wine is reduced.

When pork is done, slice it and add the cranberry reduction on top.  Serve with a side dish of your choice and garnish with Fresh Origins Micro Antioxidants Mix!

Antioxidant Berry Tart

Ingredients:

Fresh Origins Antioxidants Mix

Fresh Blueberries

Fresh Blackberries

Fresh Strawberries

Fresh Raspberries

Mascarpone Cheese

Granulated Sugar

Powdered Sugar

Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

Small Frozen Tart Crust

1 Egg

Directions:

Put whole blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier and granulated sugar, stirring to coat every berry.  In a separate bowl, add berries and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier and mash mixture.  Combine mashed mixture with whole berry mixture.  Place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour to let berries macerate.  Mix every 20 minutes or so and add more sugar.  You’ll know when they are ready when a thick syrup begins to form.

While waiting, combine mascarpone with Grand Marnier and Sugar and set in refrigerator.

When the berries are almost done, crack an egg and separate the yoke and the whites. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg yoke. (This will give the edges a nice golden brown color when baked). Bake tart crust for 10-12 minutes with a temperature of 450.

When crust is done, let cool for 15 minutes.

While waiting, combine mascarpone mixture with berry mixture.

When crust is room temperature, remove it from its outer baking shell.  Then plate crust and fill the center with the mascarpone and berry mixture.  Add fresh berries to plate, surrounding tart. Garnish tart with fresh berries and Fresh Origins Micro Antioxidants Mix.